The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-03-26

finish some ocwing by the fading daylight,
and put two sticks of wood in the broken
stove, that was quito marvellous to look at
when there was u goodsized fire burning
in it,. 1t was so covered with large queer
shaped cracks thatit looked like an illu-
minated map of some strange country.
Mrs. Martin moved the tea-kettle forward
upon the principal continent on the map,
and turned, with a smile, to welcome her
in.le daughter. -
"Cold, my little girll" she said, as she
united the ragged hood. She must have
found the frozen tears; for shade OF ap-
prohension crossed her pale face, and she
asked, hurricdly; "Did you find Mrs.
Greene at homer
"Yes, mother Here is the money; and
she said she would have good deal Of
work this spring; and as you did this so
nicely, you should have IL all, If you had
time"
Thank God" said Mrs Martin, CRATE
fully, kissing Allies cheek. "But why
these tears' With this money I shall be
able to buy you warm dress and a cloak OF
some kind. saw one yesterday that was
only three dollars"
"Oh! mother" sobbed Allie, putting her
arms around her mothers waist, and press.
'hS hSi iuNO uSailSU htE uOSOl uoNoT
want to see Mr.. Mason again. He's cruel,
wicked man."
"Why why, Allier' exclaimed Mrs.
Martin, very much surprised. "What do
you mean" n
II found out to-day why we have such
hard times" said Allie. "It's all because
of Lent. / wish he had never told us about
itn
Mrs Martin thought, for moment, her
little daughter must be out of her head
but taking her on her lap, she placed the
little cold feet on the hearth Of the ricketty
stove, and, by skillful questions, soon had
the whole history of the afternoon.
"They had such beautiful dresses, and
she had a muff and flowers. Oh! mother
pink roses like we used to have over the
porch at home Don't you remember
mother!"
''Yes, dear" Mrs. Martin remembered
very well, indeed.
land they were going to party tonight,
and it's all got to be spoilt. Oh! why does
Lent nave to come to people, mother!"
AT first Mrs. Martin could not account for
Allies familiarity with the word "Lent" !;
but she soon recalled the last visit from
MIR. Mason, a Jealous churchman, and the
emphasis he laid upon her observance of
the fast. He had dwclt much upon the
blessedness to be derived from it, and now
she remembered that Allie had been pres.
ent and, as it appeared, had been an at
tentive listener.
BY the time Allie was thoroughly warmed
through. Mrs. Martin had hushed her grief
by the promise to tell her something about
Lent that would make her feel much hap
pier, after they had their tea. ~
$50 my little girl thinks we are keeping
Lent by living in these cold rooms, and wear
ing such old clothes'' said Mrs Martin, as,
latter in the evening, she took Allie on her
lap after she was ready for bed. She was
well wrapped up in an old shawl of her
mothers, that kept Off all tho little chilly
airs that lived in the corners of the room.
and sat all day on the window sill, and, in
fact, lowered pretty well all around the
room except directly over the little cracked
stove, and she was happy in the prospect of
quiet rock and talk with her mother.
Mrs. Martin told, in simple way, how
Lent had prevailed for years in the Romish
and Episcopal Churches, and how society's
fashionable observance of the fast differed
from the self-denying spirit that leads so
many good persons to give up some pet in
diligence and abstain from all gayety for
tiibu Oiio pciiou VI uHC year. IL Alllc
not comprehend all her mother said, she
understood enough to known that the pinch
ing poverty of the last few years of their
lives had not been brought about by Mr..
Mason CIR his teachings and the knd-hearted
man was restored to his place in her affec-
tons.
Mrs. Martin held Allie in her arms long
while after the little girl fell asleep, and
her thoughts went back, as they did many
times each day of her life to the home
where Allie was born. She saw the little
porch, with its festoons of climbing roses,
from which the wind scattered shower of
pink snow upon the little lawn with it's car
pet OF white clover, the playground of little
Allie, and the child herself reaching to
pluck the red, white and pink hollyhocks
down by the gate, just as she looked that
morning. Allies father had been away
some months on long journey, and was
then expected home, and Allie could hard
ly be kept away from the gate, where she
was ''waiting for papa" long enough to eat
her meals She seemed to see the gate
open and the kind neighbor come up the
walk, and after few words Of preparation,
give her the paper where the name of John
Martin appeared on the list of those Killed
by u terrible railway accident Then fol-
lowed the sad weeks when the pretty home
and all it contained was sold for debt, and
Allies mother found herself with only a
few hundred dollars in the world, and no
one to turn to for help, except an amt of
hor husband, who lived in distant Eastern
city. To her great joy, this aunt wrote for
her to bring Allie and come to her, and she
would put her in way to support herself.
1t was long journey, and, when the trav-
elers reached the home that had been
opened to them, it was to find the kind old
aunt on her death-bed, speechless and un-
conscious. OF the years that followed
Mrs. Martin did not think much that night;
they were very much alike, and very, very
hard; but she had her little daughter to
work for, and, as she laid her on the hard
bed, she prayed that she might always be
kept as pure and good Us she was then. It
was very cold that night in the two little
rooms that Allie and her mother called
''home.n The old cracked stove was dark
and cold, and the little, chilly airs had ev-
cry thing their own way, and, finding them
selves masters of the situation, Immediately
let in any number Of other little airs thas
were much colder than they; and they
danced and played all about tho room at
such n rate that they woke up Mrs. Martin.
'How cold it is" she thought. ~ hope
Allie does not feel it as do"
No, indeed. Allie was very warm; too
warm, poor Mrs. Martin soon found. She
was tossing and moaning with n fire in her
veins that set all the cold airs in the whole
city at defiance. Early in the morning Mrs.
Martin sent fora physician, who pronounced
the disease the dreaded fever that had
ragged with such fatality among the poor in
''Ferris' row." Then followed long weeks OF